Maternity dress



July 4,1944.- E. A. CLARK y i v2,352,886

MATERNITY DRESS Filed Jari. 22, 1945 Patented July 4, 1944 A UNITED l 'Ffa-TENT OFFICE. i .zaas i .alternating DRESS y Clark, Portland,` Oreg.

Application VJanuarya2, 19.43,.seriaiN0. 473,198 1 (CL2- 76) i 3 Claims.

This invention relates to womens clothing and more particularly to a maternity dress having certain new and useful features which add materially to the attractive appearance of the garment and to the comfort of the wearer despite the fact that the garment must be made adjustable in order to accommodate the requirements of the wearer.

It is one object of this invention to provide a maternity dress having a blouse portion and a skirt portion, each of which is separately adjustable.

It is a further object of this invention to pro,- vide such a maternity dress which by reason of the separate adjustment of the blouse and skirt portions may be attractively and comfortably draped about the figure of the wearer n all conditions of its use.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a maternity dress which is adapted for adjustment in accordance with the varying requirements of different wearers to the end that, should the required expansion exist either higher or lower with respect to the body of the wearer, the adjustment may be properly made and the dress attractively draped in all conditions.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a maternity dress in which the Waistline of the dress may be adjusted at its proper place so as not to rise regardless of the expansion of the blouse portion of the garment.

Further objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the garment with the skirt portion unwrapped.

Fig. 2 is a front View of the garment as worn by the wearer.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the garment consists generally of a skirt portion I and a blouse portion II. The skirt portion I0 is attached to the blouse portion II by a seam across the back of the garment as at I2. The skirt portion I0 includes a laterally extending flap I3 and an elongated laterally extending ap I4, the latter of which is curved as at I5. The lower edge of the skirt may be provided with a broad hem I6 terminating at I1, as indicated in Fig. 1, and a narrower hem I8 in the curved portion I5. A belt I9 is sewn to the upper edge of the ap I4 and secured to the blouse II as at 20 and a corresponding belt 2I is sewn to the top edge of the flap I3 and secured to the blouse Il as at 22. The blouse II includes a back portion 23 andffront portions 24 adapted to be folded across each other as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The front portions or aps 24 are each provided with long depending extensions 25 that extend down considerably below the waist line. A collar 26 and sleeves 2'I may be provided.

In use the garment above described will be worn with the front flaps 24 folded as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and the skirt I0 formed by draping the flap I3 across the front of the body underneath the ap I4, all as shown in Fig. 2, and tied together by the belts I9 and 2l in any suitable knot 28.

It will be noted that should occasion require, the diameter of the skirt I0 may be increased by loosening the knot 28 and slipping the elongated ap I4 further open across the flap I3. It is further noted that should occasion require, the blouse portion Il may be similarly opened. Inasmuch as the blouse portion II, by reason of the extensions 25, is held in place by the overlapping portions I3 and I4 and by the belts I9 and 2l one important feature of this invention is achieved, to wit, should it be required to expand the blouse portion I I, nevertheless the waist` line defined by the belt portions can be retained in its proper place and will not rise as is customary with garments of this type for the reason that the skirt can be draped in its proper place by adjusting the flaps I3 and I4. In such case the extensions 25, which originally extended considera'bly vbelow the waistline, will simply be pulled a portion of the distance upward, allowing the belts I9 and 2l to dene the waistline as desired.

By reason of the last described feature of this invention, it is possible with the garment of this invention to comfortably and attractively drape the dress upon the body of the wearer and eifectively conceal the condition of the wearer even in the most advanced stages.

While a particular form of the invention herein described is well adapted to carry out the object of the invention, it is to be understood that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the invention and that the invention includes all such modications and changes as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a maternity dress, a blouse comprising two overlapping front portions unattached to each other at the front, and having overlapping extensions extending down considerably below the waist line, and a skirt having two side portions adapted to be wrapped over the body of the wearer in superimposed position and to retain said blouse in closed position, whereby said blouse and said skirt are separately adjustable, the flaps of said blouse and the flaps of said skirt being unattached to each other at the front of the dress.

2. In a maternity dress, a blouse comprising two overlapping front portions unattached to each other at the front, and having overlapping extensions extending down considerably below the waist line, a skirt comprising a side portion adapted to be wrapped across the front of the body of the wearer and an elongated side portion adapted to be wrapped across said rst mentioned side portion, and a belt upon each oi said side portions for securing said skirt in position, whereby said blouse and said skirt are separately adjustable, the flaps of said blouse and the aps of said skirt being unattached to each other at the front of the dress.

3. In a maternity dress, a skirt portion ioni- `f prising two side portions adapted to be wrapped over the body of the wearer in superimposed position and adapted to be adjusted in accordance with the requirements of the wearer in the y zone of said skirt portion, and a blouse portion having two overlapping front flaps unattached to each other, adapted to be adjusted in accordance with the requirements of the wearer in the zone of said blouse portion, each of said overlapping blouse portions having depending extensions extending considerably below the waist line and lying back of said superimposed skirt portions whereby said skirt portions rnay be adjusted to retain a proper waistline despite an expansion of said blouse portion, the aps of said blouse and the naps of said skirt being unattachedto each other at the front of the dress. EMMA A. CLARK. 

